Page 67 of Wolf’s Fated Bride

“I’m not.” Her questions are bait. She’s picking a fight I can’t win. I need to gain the upper hand quickly, follow up with something…anything. “When can I see you again?” There. Very beta male. Very subtle. Should work well for me.

Runa slips into her jeans, pulls on a sweater, coat, boots, and a hat. “I’ll leave you with the basket. Please dust off the scents and bring it to my mom. You know the drill.”

“Actually, I don’t.”

“You must’ve participated in a nesting ritual before. You know the drill.”

I stare.

She stares back. “Are you kidding me?”

“No.”

Runa bites her lip and looks away, but can’t hide the satisfied smile stretching her lips. “That means I’m your first,” she says.

“It’s my first time because I don’t visit nests.”

Runa gapes. “Ash, are you serious?”

“Mmhm. I’m the Alpha of the largest and, arguably, the strongest of the three werewolf packs. Fire is my element. I can’t simply walk into nests and leave. Females have expectations. Their parents do too. And I most certainly can’t fuck around and find out that I have bastard pups running around my fields.”

Runa swallows, blood draining from her rosy cheeks. “But you did that last night, right? You fucked around. Don’t worry, no pups are coming from this. Now, you’re free to go on your way.”

A loud grinding noise interrupts our chat. “What is that?” I ask her.

“They’re lowering the bridge.”

“I thought we would get snowed in for days.”

“We are. This is the heart of the storm. We still have a few hours of reprieve before the worst of it brings water along with winds.” Runa points at the exit. “Can you part the fire so I can pass?”

“Can you?”

Runa frowns. “I don’t think so.”

“Try.”

“I don’t want to burn myself.”

“You won’t.” Last night, I reached out with her hand in mine, and the flames pulled back as if not to burn her. It crawled over my skin. Besides, she survived an inferno, so technically, she could probably walk right through the fire.

“I’m scared.”

“But you’re curious,” I say. “As am I. There’s no other way to know if you’re fireproof than to voluntarily walk through it.”

Runa reaches toward the flames, and I tense. She’s too close for comfort, but I have to let this play out. She snatches back her hand. “I’m afraid I’ll get burned.”

“Well, I’m not going to set you on fire just to test the theory.” I pull the fire inside my body. The temperature in the room drops instantly, and Runa shivers before opening the door.

She pauses. “Thank you for your service, Alpha.”

The door closes, and I stare at it.

My service?

Chapter 28

Runa